Weekly Planner: Zoning Board and Council Meetings, Halloween Events and Library Programs

Sometimes, our busy schedules can mean important local events pass us by. Manchester Patch has rounded up some of this week's best bets below:

Monday, Oct. 24

• Manchester's  will meet at 6 p.m. at the Municipal Complex on Colonial Drive. The agenda is available online.
• Red Ribbon Week, a nation-wide anti-drug campaign run by the U.S. Drug Enforcement Administration since 1988, begins today.
• The Hawks girls soccer team will face Long Branch at 3:45 p.m. at the Lakehurst/Manchester Soccer Association complex on Colonial Drive.

Tuesday, Oct. 25

• A presentation by SPAN, the Statewide Parent Advocacy Network, at Regional Day School from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. will address basic rights in special education. The registration deadline is Oct. 24.
• The Manchester Municipal Alliance is set to meet at the township's civic center in the  on Colonial Drive at 7 p.m. Volunteers are always welcome. Call 732-657-8121, ext. 3901 for more information.
• Representatives from the Ocean County Office of Senior Services will be at the County Connection to help residents decide which Medicare prescription drug program is best for you. Call 732-288-7777 for an appointment.
• Also at the Connection, a representative from Sen. Frank Lautenberg's staff will take questions from 1:30 p.m. to 3:30 p.m.

Wednesday, Oct. 26

• Parent-teacher conferences will be held from 6:30 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. at Manchester Township High School.
• "Hanna" will be shown at Manchester's branch of the Ocean County Library at 2 p.m. and 6 p.m. The PG-13 rated film runs for 101 minutes.
• An oil painting demonstration will be hel from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. at the Ocean County Artists Guild in Island Heights. Award-winning artist Marie De Venezia will show her techniques. Call 732-270-3111 for more information.

Thursday, Oct. 27

• Manchester's zoning board will meet at Ridgeway Elementary School at 7 p.m. The  for a proposed skilled nursing facility will continue to be heard.
• High school students will be dismissed early as parent-teacher conferences continue from 12 p.m. to 8:30 p.m. 
• The Hawks boys soccer team will take on Mater Dei Prep at 3:45 p.m. at the Manchester/Lakehurst Soccer Association fields on Colonial Drive.
• The "Creepy, Crawly and Slimy" program at, 6:30 p.m. at Manchester's branch of the Ocean County Library, will introduce families with children ages 4 and up to tarantulas, scorpions, snakes and other creatures. Call 732-657-7600 for more information.

Friday, Oct. 28

• Manchester's Hayride and Trick or Trunk will held from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Call the Department of Recreation at 732-657-8121, ext. 5101 for more information.
• On the final day of high school parent-teacher conferences this week, students at MTHS will be dismissed early as talks run from 12 p.m. to 8:30 p.m.
• Players of all ages and skill levels are invited to attend the Chess Club at  from 12 p.m. to 2 p.m. The library asks that participants bring their own boards. Call 732-657-7600 for more information.
• The John F. Peto Museum in Island Heights will hold a Halloween Open House from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m. Light refreshments will be served. For more information, call 732-929-4949.

Saturday, Oct. 29

• The Fourth Annual Pumpkin Patch at Jackson's Crossing, 21 S. Hope Chapel Rd., runs from 11 a.m. to 3 p.m. Pumpkin picking, face painting, hayrides and more will be on-hand. 
• Laurita Winery in New Egypt will host its HalloWINE event from 7 p.m. to 11 p.m. Ben Weiner will perform at the free costume party. Call 732-758-8000 for more information.